A computer system and associated methods and devices for distributing protected data and controlling access to and use of such data in accordance with rules are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,933,498 to Schneck et al. entitled “System for Controlling Access and Distribution of Digital Property,” which issued on Aug. 3, 1999, the entire contents of which patent are incorporated herein by reference.
The ongoing advancement of computer hardware and software technologies, and the widespread use of networks such as the internet to distribute content in digital form, necessitate continued improvements in technologies for protecting digital content during distribution and use. The present inventions provide various improved configurations of hardware and/or software for controlling access to protected digital content.